A Photo of Past Ghosts
by HatefulRodeo
Summary: The two sixteen year olds in the photo were so reminiscent of another set of teenage boys from long ago; as if the ghosts of Harry and Draco's teenage selves had appeared on film. Looking at a photo of Albus and Scorpius Harry reminisces on his lost love and thinks about what his life has become. HP/DM & ASP/SM. Yaoi; Don't Like? Don't Read! Warnings Inside So Read Them! Complete!
1. Chapter 1

_Author: HatefulRodeo_

_Story: A Photo of Past Ghosts_

_Notes: Sort of Epilogue Compliant, OOC, and Yaoi; Don't like it? Don't read it! I think that's it for warnings but if there's more I'll post them at the beginning of the chapter. Albus/Scorpius and past Harry/Draco; maybe future Harry/Draco but we shall see. Also, a bit of Weasely bashing but nothing to mean...hopefully! : ) Alright Enjoy LOVELIES!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I will make no money from the posting of this story._

_**~*~*~*Chapter 1~*~*~***_

Harry looked down at the picture clasped in his left hand; the photo was sent along with Albus' weekly letter from Hogwarts, updating his dad on the goings on in his teenage life. The Man-Who-Lived felt happiness bubble up within him as he stared down at the moving wizard photo; the picture showing his tall, gangly sixteen year old son hugging the slighter, shorter body of Scorpius Malfoy tightly to him.

His son was smiling like he'd won the best prize in the world and maybe, Harry thought, Albus had. The picture while making Harry happy for his child made him feel soul deep regret and shame as well. The two sixteen year olds in the photo were so reminiscent of another set of teenage boys from long ago; as if the ghosts of Harry and Draco's teenage selves had appeared on film.

It hurt to think that if Harry hadn't been such a coward he could have had a photo like this of him and Draco, both smiling at the camera like they didn't give a damn. But unfortunately Harry was a coward, still is as a matter of fact, because if he wasn't he would have broken away from the life he'd forced himself to live. If he wasn't so afraid he would have run away from a wife he didn't love and a life of dull monotony.

Was it too late now for him to break away from all of it? Had his and Draco's ship truly sailed away all those years ago when Harry broke the blonde's heart when they'd finally graduated Hogwarts after their eighth year? Was the straw that broke the Hippogriff's back when he'd turned his back on the man he adored and treasured because he didn't want to deal with the drama their love would cause.

Harry wasn't sure but it was probably too late now anyway. He'd made his choice, as incorrect as it was, and left Draco. Instead of staying with the man he loved he'd left a broken man in his wake and got back together with Ginny Weasely like everyone expected.

Being with Ginny was alright, it was safe and easy since he was already familiar with her and her family. Not to mention no one would speak against their union; as a matter of fact Harry remembered the full page spread on the front page of the Prophet announcing his and Ginny's engagement.

No one knew of his and Draco's affair so no one spoke about it; it was almost as if those late nights and early mornings making love hadn't even happened. And sometimes Harry wondered if those hallowed, stolen hours spent with his blonde angel weren't a fantasy, a product of his vivid imagination.

But then he'd watch the Pensieve memories of their times together and he'd see those beautiful grey eyes full of lust and love and the emerald eyed wizard knew everything they'd done together did happen and it was all Harry's fault that it would probably never happen again. Harry was to blame for their separation, he was the guilty party here and Draco the innocent victim in Harry's cowardice and fear.

When the Weaselys were told he was with Ginny again everyone was pleased with his choice and for a long time Harry could push away the longing thoughts he had for the beautiful blonde man out of his head. But just like all things one wants to avoid they refuse to stay gone forever and soon after James was born Harry's mind once again turned to thoughts of Draco; what he was doing? Where was he? Was he doing alright?

Harry didn't know anything about Draco's life now; after they'd split up after eighth year Draco moved to France and stayed under the radar. It wasn't a year after James was born when Harry saw the article in the Prophet announcing Draco's nuptials to Astoria Greengrass; Harry spewed his tea across the table when he read the article. He felt angry and betrayed that Draco would marry someone else and then he wanted to hex himself for feeling something so blatantly unfair.

How could he be mad about Draco getting married? Hadn't he dropped Draco like a hot stone and gone off with Ginny? Yes, he had and it would be hypocritical for him to hold the fact that Draco was moving on against him. It was a cold comfort that he knew his blonde was gay and was probably marrying the Greengrass girl to satisfy his parents' wishes for an heir to continue the Malfoy line.

But it pained him that someone else would be bonded to Draco, someone else would be giving Draco a child. It hurt Harry because it should have been him marrying the blonde, it should have been Draco carrying their children. He blinked his eyes rapidly to stop the burning tears he felt welling up in his green orbs and looked back down at the picture of his son and his new boyfriend on their very first Hogsmeade date.

At least one of the Potter men was brave enough to go after the Malfoy they wanted and Harry would support his son in this relationship; to hell with Ginny and Ron. If anyone didn't like Albus' choice in partner they could kindly shut the hell up or face the Potter Lord's wrath.

Just as Harry had defended Albus when he was sorted into Slytherin he would defend him now; everyone deserved to be with the one they loved. No one, regardless of who they were, had the right to keep them apart just because their families didn't always see eye to eye on things. Harry lost his chance to be with the man he loved and he would be condemned to the seventh level of hell if he allowed that to happen to Albus.

With a sad smile on his face the raven haired man conjured a beautiful rectangular silver frame with emerald green snakes at the corners and slipped the picture of his son and his companion inside. When the photo was set Harry placed it on the desk in his office and went back to reading his son's letter. So far he'd read about Scorpius and Albus' first date and now they were moving on to how Albus was doing in his studies.

Harry smiled as he read through the rather long piece of parchment, committing any important pieces of information to his memory so he could inquire about it in his return letter. He may not be happy with his wife or some aspects of his life but he adored his kids and he thanked the gods every damn day for them.

No matter what happened in his life Harry would continue to love and support them through anything; as long as they were happy, healthy, and not doing anything illegal Harry would stand by them. To hell with the rest of the world.

~*~*~*Time Skip~*~*~*

Harry sat in his favored chair by the fire, contemplating life and the curveballs it throws you; he seemed to be doing this a lot lately, ever since he received the picture of Albus and Scorpius together. He began to think back to when he was younger; at the tender age of eleven he was introduced to a whole new world; a magical world. He finally entered the world he was meant to be in and he felt so grateful that night in the hut when Hagrid told him he had a place in this new and amazing magical world.

Then he'd move onto the other events that occurred during his time at Hogwarts. He still loved Hogwarts it was the scene of some of his biggest triumphs and greatest heartaches. It was within Hogwarts that he came face to face, for the first time in his memory, with his parents' murderer and survived relatively unscathed.

It was like that meeting with Hagrid on his eleventh birthday was the beginning of a rollercoaster ride that lasted over eight years. Don't get him wrong he loved magic and most things about the magical world; Harry wouldn't give it up for anything but their world left much to be desired at times. The people were fickle, just as likely to hug you as spit on you depending on what slander the Prophet vomited out for the public to read that day.

Also, most magical people still to this day felt some sense of entitlement to him and information on his life; most of the time it was inconvenient but every now and again it became overbearing and obstructive. He remembered the circus created when James was born; the press along with the public were clamoring to get a photo of their savior's firstborn son. Hell they'd stalked Harry until he'd had to give some kind of statement if he ever wanted a peaceful moment again.

But of all the things he found lacking in this world they were nothing in comparison to what he felt was lacking in his marriage and he only had himself to blame for that shortcoming; it was his fault after all. He shouldn't have married Ginny to please others; Harry should have pleased himself and in doing so pleased those around him who mattered because his closest friends would want him to be happy no matter who he decided to be with.

His wife seemed to want things that he held no desire for. She enjoyed the parties and social gatherings while Harry shunned them like the plague unless he was ordered to go. Harry being Head Auror meant his boss was none other than the Minister of Magic Kingsley Shacklebolt and unless the chocolate skinned man demanded his presence Harry was happy to shirk off any invitations; much to Ginny's annoyance.

She just didn't understand him; how could she? Ginny wasn't stared at like some sort of attraction ever since she was eleven; she'd never had to endure the crushing weight of thousands of eyes watching her every move, waiting for her to screw up. No, to Ginny these parties and gatherings were fun, a chance to dress up and flaunt their status.

To Harry they were the equivalent of watching paint dry while being smothered by nosy well-wishers and glad-handed by sleazy politicians. He despised those events with every inch of his being and over the past few years he'd avoided them all, much to Ginny's anger, except for the annual Ministry Ball. Kingsley would drag Harry to that function himself.

It became more evident every day that their marriage was coming to an end; it was only a matter of time before their already strained bond broke for good. Harry wasn't sure if he should feel sad or relieved that it was coming to an end soon. The raven didn't know why he knew his marriage was dying he just did; call it intuition and his intuition had never let him down before. As a matter of fact if he would have listened to his intuition all those years ago he would be happily married to Draco.

He'd even become an Auror to satisfy the public and Ginny's expectations. They all wanted their savior to become a polished, highly decorated Auror and Harry did. He joined the Auror Corp. shortly after graduating Hogwarts and getting back with Ginny. He became a very successful Auror just like everyone wanted and was awarded the position of Head Auror about four years ago.

He liked his job well enough but it wasn't what he loved to do. If he'd been normal he would have looked into getting his Mastery in Defense but alas he wasn't normal he was Harry James Potter; the Man-Who-Lived, the Savior of the Wizarding World, etc.

Harry had to face the fact that he and Ginny had grown apart over the years and by the time Lily was born they'd settled into a very bland and routine existence interspersed with fighting about Harry's lack of wanting to go to parties or go on thousand galleon vacations, or whatever Ginny wanted to do that he had no desire to go along with.

At least they didn't fight about money; Merlin knew Harry had enough of it with the Potter and Black vaults along with his salary. Nope, money was not an issue for them. But they still fought viciously about what Harry should do about this or how he should go about that. Ginny somehow believed that Harry would be lost without her; that belief was so far from the truth it was laughable.

If anything Harry took care of her far more than she had ever taken care of him. He wasn't some mindless moron, he was capable of managing just fine on his own and parenting his children. His children loved him more than their mother as sad as that sounded; his kids knew Harry wouldn't blow up at them in anger or rag on them until they caved like Ginny did. The emerald eyed wizard supported his kids no matter what, giving them the all the love and care he'd never received as a child.

That was why Albus wrote to him about Scorpius and not both his parents; his second son knew his mother would not take the news of Albus' choice in partner well and Harry couldn't blame the teen in not wanting to deal with his mother's irrational, and no doubt loud, response.

James and Lily did much the same when things arose in their lives that they needed advice on. His wife still saw the world in black and white; Slytherins were evil and Gryffindors were always good. That Pettigrew was a Gryffindor and a traitor was completely ignored by Ginny along with the little factoid that Severus Snape was as Slytherin as they came and the bravest man Harry had ever known.

They were just too different to ever truly work out together; Harry grew up fast and had to open his eyes to the reality of life. Ginny, on the other hand, was sheltered and give all the care in the world; her whole family had shielded her from the harsh realities of life and even seeing some of the gruesome things that had taken place during the war had not opened the red headed female's eyes.

His mind went back to the thought that it was only a matter of time before he was free of Ginny and the Weaselys. Well not all the Weaselys; Harry still wanted connections with Arthur, George, Charlie, and Bill. Those four men didn't take Ginny's side by default when she ran home to rant about how horrid Harry was or whatever else she railed on about when she returned to The Burrow.

Several times Arthur or George or even Bill would floo over to ask Harry's side of the story and often found themselves siding with the raven haired man once they had the whole situation laid out for them. Unfortunately, the same could not be said for Ron. His friend always took Ginny's side in the argument no matter how wrong she'd been just like Molly did but Harry wasn't that surprised about it.

At least he didn't have to worry about dealing with Percy; the bespectacled Weasely son now lived in the U.S. as an attaché with the American Ministry of Magic and maintained very little contact with his family except for visiting during the holidays. Harry would miss having Ron as a friend but just like his relationship with Ginny had gone downhill so had his close friendship with Ron.

After Hogwarts the two of them just drifted apart more and more; when there was no life or death situations or schoolmates to keep them occupied Harry realized he and Ron had very little in common. And the distance between them only grew as he matured and went to work as an Auror and Ron went to work with George in the joke shop at Diagon Alley as a Floor Manager.

From what he knew Ron was good at what he did but it wasn't exactly an environment that encouraged personal growth; not that Ron had ever been particularly mature in the first place. Where George knew when to act the fool and when to buckle down and be serious Ron did not. The youngest Weasely son continued to live in a suspended state of a seventeen year old.

His immaturity eventually cost him his relationship with Hermione. The brightest witch of their age was proud that her boyfriend had procured a decent job right out of Hogwarts but she began to dislike it when Ron would come home and set up pranks around their flat. After a few years, and many arguments over the red head's childish behavior, Hermione got tired of dating, and living, with an overgrown child and left.

His best female friend was now a very well-known and sought after Healer at Saint Cassius' Hospital for Magical Injuries in Paris. She visited England a few times a year and they would meet for dinner when she came into town but more often than not most of their interactions happened through owl which was fine with Harry since it gave him something to look forward to.

He wondered how Hermione would react when she heard about his thoughts on leaving Ginny. Harry snorted internally; the bushy haired witch would be pleased that he was finally taking steps to make himself happy again. She knew how Harry felt about some things regarding his life but not all of it. Hermione remained clueless about Draco but knew that Harry wasn't content in his marriage.

Maybe in his next letter to her he'd lay all his cards out on the table. Tell someone all the things that were on his mind and in his heart. Hermione might even have some good advice for him to follow; she usually knew exactly the right thing to do in any situation. Now that he was thinking on it he should write Hermione a letter, it might be therapeutic to pour his heart out for once, get it all off his chest.

The shrill voice of his wife shouting his name startled Harry out of his staring match with the fire, making him jump out of his seat and run toward the sound of his spouse's raised voice. He found her in the study for some reason, the conjured silver picture frame clasped tightly in her hand; Harry entered the room warily, wondering where this little chat was going to go from here.

Until he knew what was going on he would stay quiet, no need to give more away then Ginny knew at this point. The petite red head raised her eyes from the photo of Albus and Scorpius and glared at him, showing the picture to him so he could clearly see the moving picture of his son and the smaller blonde; "What is this, Harry? Why do you have a picture of our son hugging that bastard's child?"

The raven's eyes narrowed slightly in anger; "I think it is pretty clear what it is, Ginny. It's a picture of our son hugging Draco Malfoy's son, Scorpius; who just happens to be Albus' boyfriend. I have it because Albus sent it to me and let me know they're dating now." Though Harry could feel his anger brewing inside of him he kept his voice calm and only slightly patronizing; it wouldn't due to lose his cool now and have this little spat escalate into a full blown fight.

They fought enough as it was and the emerald eyed savior was frankly tired of fighting with the woman he'd chosen to marry. Ginny stomped towards him; when she was close enough to him she jammed the frame hard into his chest. Harry snatched the frame out of her hand and held it at his side; he wouldn't allow her to destroy it in her anger and the possible subsequent tantrum she'd throw when he told her the score; Ginny would leave Albus and Scorpius alone no matter how much she disliked their romantic relationship.

His wife's raised voice brought his green eyes back up to her face; "And you're okay with our son dating a Malfoy?! They're all Death Eaters and that boy is probably a filthy little bigot, just like his father. That family is nothing but no good bastards and I won't have that prat's spawn corrupting our son!"

Well now she'd done it, Ginny had finally done it, she'd finally pushed Harry too damn far. Yes, they'd had their fights and they'd exchanged heated words but he would not let her sit back and demean the man he still secretly loved or his son; who had done nothing wrong but to be born a Malfoy.

Taking a deep calming breath he spoke, letting Ginny know exactly how things were going to be; "You will leave Albus' relationship alone, you will not meddle or interfere. Scorpius makes Albus happy, damn it, and I won't have you ruining it with your ignorance and intolerance just because the boy's a Malfoy."

"And what has Draco ever done to you besides said hurtful words to us during our school years, and trust me we gave back as good as we got. Besides from what I recall he turned a new leaf during our eighth year at Hogwarts and barely conversed or acknowledged you or Ron at all."

"You will respect my wishes on this, Ginny. I can guarantee you will not like the consequences that will be befall you should you try to split them up. Is that understood?" The red headed woman just stared at him in shock; Harry couldn't blame her. He very rarely asserted himself like this but when he did you didn't go against him unless you wanted hell to come down on you.

Finally, his wife stopped looking like a Largemouth Bass and spoke in a voice full of stunned disbelief; "Then you agree with our son being a queer and dating a Malfoy? You're going to stand there and let our son be corrupted by that...that fag?!"

Harry just stared coldly at the shrew in front of him and felt all the years of repressed feeling boil up inside him; all the times he'd shut up and bore it, all the times he'd turned the other cheek and kept silent for the sake of keeping the peace.

All those feelings and emotions surged up and choked him, making his swallow reflexively. Taking a deep breath he ordered his words so he could let Ginny know where he stood in this matter; "No, Ginny, I don't have a problem with our son's relationship with another man. Albus could date a fucking Unicorn and I wouldn't give damn as long as he was happy."

"And I'll have you know that Albus isn't the first Potter to be corrupted by a Malfoy. So no I don't have an issue with our son being corrupted by; what was the word you so disrespectfully used? Ah yes! That fag." He would take her anger but he would not let her degrade his son or Scorpius' sexual orientation or who they chose to be with. He was done with this woman! How dare she speak that way about their child!

His wife just stood there staring at him with her mouth agape, tears filling her eyes; "What do you mean Albus wasn't the first Potter to be corrupted by a Malfoy?" Harry stared directly into her eyes and smiled a smile that showed way to many teeth to be called friendly; "What I mean is Draco and I were together for a short time many years ago and it was the best time I've ever had in my life."

"I loved him more than I could ever love another, still love him if you must know, and I regret the day I left him because I caved to the pressure of others. I never should have let him go but hindsight is always twenty-twenty as the muggles say." Ginny was crying in earnest now, her tears flowing freely down her red, splotchy face, but Harry could see the anger brewing in her eyes and he knew it wouldn't be long before she began to yell at him.

Knowing his time to get any words in was running short he dropped the proverbial bomb on her; "I want a divorce. This relationship isn't working, hasn't worked for a long time and I deserve to be happy and I'm not. I don't want to be with you any longer and after what you said about Albus I don't even want to look at you."

"You're his mother and you can still degrade him and his sexual preferences so cruelly. I should have known when you reacted like a shrieking Banshee when he was sorted into Slytherin that your love for our kids was conditional but I hoped I wasn't right. I was wrong and I refuse to stay with someone so blatantly ignorant and blind to the world around them."

Without another word Harry strode out of his office and towards their bedroom, the picture frame still held tightly in his hand. Once he reached their room Harry began to pack his clothes and other necessities so he wouldn't have to come back for a few days. Harry would be leaving this house and going back to Grimmauld Place; thank Merlin he'd kept the old place and had it renovated just in case he'd ever decided to sell it.

Now he had a place to go seeing as he no longer desired to live in Ottery St. Catchpole, not when Molly Weasely would surely be on the warpath when she heard about Harry divorcing her precious daughter. Well to hell with her if she didn't understand why Harry wanted to be out of his marriage with Ginny; it wasn't Molly's place to understand or approve his decision anyway.

He'd bowed under other people's whims long enough and he was done with it and had no intention of living for anyone but himself and his children.

After he was finished packing he closed his trunk, shrunk it down, placed it in his pocket and exited the bedroom. Before he left the house he went back to his office and closed the doors, warding them to the nines so Ginny couldn't get in and do something stupid. His office was the one room in the house that was Harry's and it held all his precious possessions; his father's invisibility cloak, the photos of his parents, his ancestor's journals and all his important legal and financial documents were kept within that room.

If any of those things were destroyed they would be difficult if not impossible to replace. The doors warded he strode toward the foyer so he could apparate to Number Twelve; unfortunately his soon to be ex-wife had other plans and grabbed his bicep hard, effectively stopping him in his tracks unless he wanted to pull her along with him.

Taking a deep breath he turned his head and stared at her, silently asking her to get on with it so he could leave. "Harry...please you can't do this! What's happened to you? Did you get hexed or something?! This isn't like you!" The raven rolled his eyes and jerked his arm out of her grip; "I'll ask you not to touch me like that again. As for what's happened to me; I've finally woken up and decided what I want in my life and what I don't."

"I'm not hexed, or under a potion; I'm just done with you and this miserable marriage. As for me not acting like myself...do you even know me and when I say know me I mean me, not Head Auror Potter or the Man-Who-Lived, I mean Harry just Harry? Do you know my favorite color? Do you know my deepest secrets? No, you don't because you never cared to find out. You wanted to marry me since you were eleven years old because I was your hero and knight in shining armor."

Ginny snarled; "Than why did you marry me then?" Harry grimaced; "Because it was easy. No one cared or objected to me being with you since it was expected so I didn't have to deal with any backlash from anyone. I thought I could make it work and for a long time I tried to but after a time I gave up and just drifted through life, going to work and coming home, spending time with the kids; so you know our children are the three things I will never regret about our marriage by the way."

"Now, Ginny, if you'll excuse me I have to go before this situation deteriorates more than it already has." Harry swiftly walked into the foyer and spun on his heel, with a sharp crack he was gone, leaving his former wife screaming at him with enraged tears streaming down her face. He couldn't bring himself to care.

_**Well that concludes the first chapter of my newest, sort of cliched, story and I hope you enjoyed it. Updates may be sporadic since I've currently got several open fics that I'm hoping to finish so bear with me for a little while.**_

_**Next chapter we will have a flashback to Harry's eighth year and how he and Draco managed to get together.**_

_**All Mistakes Are My Own!**_


	2. Chapter 2

_Author: HatefulRodeo_

_Story: A Photo of Past Ghosts_

_Notes: Sort of Epilogue Compliant, OOC, and Yaoi; Don't like it? Don't read it! I think that's it for warnings but if there's more I'll post them at the beginning of the chapter if needed. Also, THANK YOU to all that fav'd, followed and reviewed. It is always much appreciated. OH and a big HUG to Borderlinecrazy for giving me the prompt that prompted me to write this little diddy; even if I totally strayed from the suggested idea. Alright moving on; Enjoy LOVELIES!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I will make no money from the posting of this story._

_Previously:_

_"I'm not hexed, or under a potion; I'm just done with you and this miserable marriage. As for me not acting like myself...do you even know me and when I say know me I mean me, not Head Auror Potter or the Man-Who-Lived, I mean Harry just Harry? Do you know my favorite color? Do you know my deepest secrets? No, you don't because you never cared to find out. You wanted to marry me since you were eleven years old because I was your hero and knight in shining armor."_

_Ginny snarled; "Than why did you marry me then?" Harry grimaced; "Because it was easy. No one cared or objected to me being with you since it was expected so I didn't have to deal with any backlash from anyone. I thought I could make it work and for a long time I tried to but after a time I gave up and just drifted through life, going to work and coming home, spending time with the kids; so you know our children are the three things I will never regret about our marriage by the way." _

_"Now, Ginny, if you'll excuse me I have to go before this situation deteriorates more than it already has." Harry swiftly walked into the foyer and spun on his heel, with a sharp crack he was gone, leaving his former wife screaming at him with enraged tears streaming down her face. He couldn't bring himself to care._

_**~*~*~*Chapter 2~*~*~***_

The moment Harry entered Grimmauld Place he went into the study on the ground floor and began to draft several letters; the first set was to his children, letting them know what was going on between him and the woman who called herself their mother. The emerald eyed savior would not have his kids blindsided by the news of their parents impending divorce.

Harry was honest when he explained why he was divorcing their mother. The raven haired wizard wrote about his dis-satisfaction with Ginny and how he loved someone else but had little hope of being with them again. He never confessed that his long lost love was in fact Draco Malfoy but he did allude to the fact that his lost love was male.

He knew his kids would be alright with their dad's sexuality; Harry hadn't raised bigots. At the end of each letter he explained that while he regretted marrying Ginny he never, not for one moment, regretted having them. He even went so far as to tell James, Lily, and Albus that they were the reason he lived and continued to wake every day.

Harry knew his kids knew that he loved them but he never let the chance pass to tell them how their father felt about them. The Man-Who-Lived also left his kids with the choice of who they wanted to live with; Harry or Ginny. Though the choice was a forgone conclusion; they would choose their dad any day, all day.

Ginny may have birthed them but Harry raised them. He was the one who stayed up with them when they coliced as babies or had a bad dream in their adolescents. He was the one who checked for Boggarts under the bed and in the closet and he was the one his kids came to when they needed help or advice. There was no way in hell his children would choose to live with the red headed shrew that bore tham.

Maybe he wasn't being fair to Ginny but after all these years of swallowing his arguments and pushing down his discontent Harry wasn't feeling very fair. His soon to be ex-wife married the illusion of Harry James Potter that she created in her own head. And when she realized that reality Harry and dream Harry didn't mesh she tried every day to make the emerald eyed male fit into the mould she had created for him inside her mind.

Shortly after they were married Ginny began to push hard for them attend party after party and then when Harry stubbornly resisted going to puffed up, useless events she left him to play professional Quidditch. Not that Harry minded his spouse's long absences, not in the least. However, when she became pregnant with James the raven thought she would stay home and give up playing Quidditch.

Harry had just graduated the Auror Academy when James was born and had little to no time to care for a child so it made sense that Ginny would stay home and look after their newborn son. That was not what happened.

His wife yelled and screamed indignantly when Harry asked if she was going to quit the Harpies and stay home with their son; essentially she told him she would continue to play and return home like she had been. She also told Harry that he should be the one to stop working since he was the one who really wanted kids in the first place; hearing his wife say that was like a slap in the face to the emerald eyed man.

He often wondered why Ginny even allowed herself to become pregnant if that was really how she felt about children? Did his ex-spouse only become pregnant because she thought that was what she should do? As the savior's wife she should be reproducing; at least that was what Harry thought it could be. He really had no clue why Ginny did half the things she did and he really didn't give a fig either.

So in the end Harry stayed silent as his wife left to rejoin her team and made due with the situation he found himself in. During James' first four years of life the raven haired savior was worn out to the bone; he woke up early to feed himself and his son and get them both ready for their day. Once they were both put together Harry brought his son to Molly's for the day.

After getting James settled at his grandma's Harry went into work for who knew how many hours and only stopped working to scarf down whatever food source was in front of him. By the time he left the Ministry he was exhausted and only had enough energy to pick up his son and have a cuddle with his adorable baby boy before going through their nightly bedtime routine.

When his son was finally snoozing happily in the bassinet near his bed Harry would fall face first into the mattress and be dead to the world until his alarm rang early the next morning. This routine continued through Albus' and Lily's birth; he may not be a fan of Molly's anymore but he was grateful to the woman for looking after his children during those early years when Harry was cutting his own path in the Ministry.

His kids saw how hard their dad worked to support them and take care of them while their mother was nowhere to be seen. Harry knew they resented Ginny but couldn't bring himself to care; the bitch brought it on herself by being absent for most of their lives.

It wouldn't have surprised him if his children had at one point thought Hermione was their mother and not Ginny; the bushy haired woman was a constant in their lives until she uprooted and moved to Paris for her work.

Even now Hermione wrote James, Lily, and Albus at least twice a month to check up on them. Harry was amused by this since his ex-wife rarely wrote their kids at all. He had hoped that Ginny's strained relationship with their kids would improve when she retired form Quidditch but he was once again wrong. Even without Quidditch to take her away Ginny was as inattentive and blasé about their kids and what they were doing in their lives as she always was.

Harry couldn't even get mad about it anymore; he felt saddened more than anything really. He imagined what his life would have been like if Draco was the one to have their children and how the blonde would react to parenthood. He truly believed that Draco would have been a great father to their kids and from what Albus wrote about Scorpius Harry knew Draco Malfoy had done well with the blonde boy.

With a sigh he sealed the three letters and called for the spare owl he kept at Grimmauld Place for emergencies; it seemed his forethought was paying off in dividends today. When his Eagle owl, Cassius, alighted himself on the desk Harry softly spoke to him; "Hello, Cassius, I need you to take these to Hogwarts quickly and then come back. Don't wait for a reply from them, alright?"

The intelligent bird blinked his dark eyes, hooted lowly to show he understood Harry's words, and spread his large black wings in preparation for flight. With a small gust of wind Cassius was off and winging himself out of the charmed window in the study as the bird swiftly made his way toward Hogwarts.

His next letter was addressed to his Goblin Manager Griphook; he requested an early morning meeting for tomorrow with the goblin to go over his accounts and put together a reasonable settlement to offer to Ginny in the upcoming divorce hearing. The Potter-Black Lord also rescinded any access Ginny had to their joint vaults. Harry knew his ex-spouse had a vault in her own name so she wouldn't be destitute while she and Harry chalked out how much money she would get from him in the seperation.

The next missive was to his solicitor and former classmate, Ernie Macmillon, asking for a meeting tomorrow afternoon. Together he and the Macmillon Lord would wade through the legal aspects of his divorce and prepare for the divorce hearing.

Harry was not looking forward to the hearing but it was necessary in cases when a Lord was divorcing their spouse. The process had changed over the years and was less restrictive but it was still a pain. A contingent of five impartial Wizengamot members would convene to hear the reasons for the divorce and if the reasons were satisfactory they would grant the divorce. However, the contingent very rarely denied a divorce request.

However, the raven knew his ex-wife would make this process as painful as possible for him. No doubt she would bring up his affair with Draco and try to play it up that Harry was unfaithful to her during their marriage. This was a blatant lie and he would submit to Veritaserum if need to be to refute her claims of infidelity; he may be a coward but he was not a liar or a cheat.

He thanked Merlin that only the Wizengamot panel and the named parties in the divorce decree would be present inside the courtroom during the divorce hearing. That meant his private life wouldn't be slathered all over the front page of the Prophet but he was sure his red headed ex would take the opportunity to squawk to the press about how much she hated Harry and how he cheated on her, etc, etc...

That was why he would ask Ernie to request a Gag Order on everyone involved in this situation; no one would be running their mouth off to the press as it would onlky distract them from the real issue; their divorce. Harry just wanted it done with now that he decided to go through with it. But it wouldn't be as simple as Harry was willing to make it, not by a long shot.

The emerald eyed wizard also had a feeling that Ginny would try and get as much money and property out of Harry as she could out of spite but the Lord of House Potter and Black would be ready for that. The settlement he was going to offer her was more than fair; the house they shared in Ottery St. Catchpole would be Ginny's outright and a monthly stipend of three hundred galleons a month would be deposited into his ex-wife's vault until Lily was of age.

He felt this was more than fair seeing as his wife came into their marriage a pauper and lived quite well off Harry's money for most of their marriage. The savior was sure the members of the Wizengamot overseeing his divorce would agree with him on the fairness of his offer and grant the divorce even if Ginny objected.

That was one of the perks the magical divorce process had over the muggle one; if the Wizengamot thought the settlement fair they could conclude the proceedings despite one of the involved parties objecting. All he needed to do was meet with his vault manager and his solicitor to get things rolling.

Once he was done writing his letter to Ernie he folded the parchment and sealed it, adding a few security spells to each letter for good measure. Seeing as Cassius wasn't back yet he made his way to the floo and lit a fire, when the flames were crackling merrily he grabbed some floo powder from the bowl on top of the hearth and threw it into the flames, calling out Griphook's address before he flung the letter into the green flames.

The process was repeated over again for the letter to Ernie; when the last letter disappeared into the flames Harry rose and made his way through the house until he came to the master bedroom. He glanced around the room and felt a small smile cross his face; he loved this room. When Harry renovated Grimmauld he was the one who picked everything out; from the floors to the furniture everything was chosen by him.

This bedroom sported the same dark hardwood floors that graced most of the house and beautiful cherry wood furniture. A large cream rug with green and blue accents was on the floor; it added a bit of lightness to the dark room. The bed was monstrous and the comforter and pillows were comprised of various shades of cream, green, and blue. The room was soothing to the Potter male's frazzled mind and tired body.

Without a thought he stripped out of his clothes and fished out his luggage from his robe pocket. Once he un-shrunk and found his toiletries he entered the en suite bathroom and readied himself for bed; he didn't give a ruddy damn that he was naked and there was no one there to be offended by his nudity. Teeth brushed and face washed he exited the washroom and strode to the massive bed; Harry threw the soft covers down and slipped onto the comfortable mattress.

With a sigh he closed his green eyes and let his mind drift; at least he didn't have to worry about a custody battle with Ginny. His kids were old enough to choose who they wanted to live with and once the divorce was settled the Wizengamot would rule on the matter of custody and speak to both parents and the children to ascertain the best place for them. In cases like Harry's where the kids were teenagers the panel of Wizengamot members weighted the children's' wishes above the parents'.

At least one thing would be simple about this split. Merlin knew the press would have a field day once the news of their Savior's divorce leaked which it would despite the Gag Order. However, the emerald eyed wizard was ready to stand his ground and do what he had to do to be happy for once in his life. Maybe Draco would see the news about Harry's divorce and make contact with him?

He immediately dashed that wayward hope; Draco was married and while he may not love his wife in the traditional sense he and Astoria had, at this point, been married for over sixteen years. It was a lot to ask for his blonde to leave his whole life behind for the moron who broke his heart and married someone else.

Could he even refer to the haughty Malfoy Lord as his anymore? Probably not but Harry didn't know any other way to think of Draco other than as his, even if the raven would never physically possess the beautiful grey eyed male again..

At least the raven still had the memories of his time spent with his gorgeous blonde lover; those he would treasure for the rest of his life. Even if he and Draco would never again be together he could at least view the memories in his Pensieve or replay them in his mind late at night when he was lonely.

He also couldn't forget that if Albus had his way they would be welcoming Scorpius into the family in a few years which meant that Harry would again be spending time with his Malfoy; that counted for something, right? Just because he couldn't have Draco in the way he desired didn't mean he couldn't enjoy spending whatever time with him he could.

Merlin, Morgana, and Medusa he was pathetic but he only had himself to blame. This situation he found himself in was entirely his fault and if he was lonely well he only had himself to hold accountable for it. But it still sucked and he still wanted Draco more than anything but Harry wouldn't push the Malfoy Lord into, or for, anything. If it happened for them again it would; if not the emerald eyed man had his precious memories of sweat slicked alabaster skin and shimmering grey eyes full of love.

Gods Draco was so beautiful back then and he still was from what Harry saw; the other man had aged well. Both of them had if Harry could be so bold as to still consider himself attractive. That eighth year was a new beginning for both of them and they seized the chance to bury the hatchet and move onward with no animosity between them.

He and Draco still argued; they were too strong personality wise to ever back down on the things that mattered, but the arguments were just that; arguments, not the malicious hurtling of painful insults and hexes they used to be. They began their relationship slowly, working together on projects for classes when they were assigned together as partners.

Those meetings shifted after a few months to them joining each other in Hogsmeade for the day. It was after one of those outings to Hogsmeade, and several Firewhiskeys, that Harry finally got the courage to kiss the sexy blonde teen. That kiss was a revelation for the raven; until then he never knew exactly where he fell when it came to his sexuality but after snogging a delicious Draco Malfoy Harry was pretty sure he was bisexual.

Harry classified himself as bisexual seeing as he was attracted to the female form; he had three kids with no help from potions or aphrodisiacs after all, but he preferred sculpted pectorals, a firm arse, and a hard cock over soft, full breasts and soft curves. He knew without a doubt that if he never kissed Draco he would have been happily married to a woman.

However, after Draco no one else would do for him; the arrogant Malfoy was it for Harry and he was stupid to think he could ever ignore that. Well he wasn't ignoring it now and he was taking the steps to make it right; unfortunately, it was eighteen years or so too late to really matter for him and Draco but then again Harry always had been a bit slow on the uptake and too damn stubborn to boot.

He comforted himself with the thought that he was finally doing the right thing for the right reasons and that would have to do for now. With those last thoughts Harry drifted away into sleep's inky embrace; the divine image of an eighteen year old, nude Draco Malfoy spread out beneath him hovering tantalizingly in his mind's eye.

_**Well that's chapter two; next installment will be purely of the flashback slashy variety since I didn't get to it this chapter. Apologies but it just didn't want to be written and I wanted to get something posted for you guys.**_

_**Anywho, this story is feeling soo cliche to me and it makes me nauseous. But oh well I like the fic so far so until next time my dears!**_

_**All Mistakes Are My Own!**_


	3. Chapter 3

_Author: HatefulRodeo_

_Story: A Photo of Past Ghosts_

_Notes: Sort of Epilogue Compliant, OOC, and Yaoi; Don't like it? Don't read it! Okay so there is a flashback featuring slash but nothing too hardcore. Anywho, enjoy the chapter. Thank you to all that fav'd and followed this fic! For anyone reviewing this fic do not expect a response as I do not get alerted when someone reviews. To know why things are the way they are read my profile and if you require more info the last posted chapter of Unexpected's beginning chapter A/N._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I will make no money from the posting of this story._

_Previously:_

_Harry classified himself as bisexual seeing as he was attracted to the female form; he had three kids with no help from potions or aphrodisiacs after all, but he preferred sculpted pectorals, a firm arse, and a hard cock over soft, full breasts and soft curves. He knew without a doubt that if he never kissed Draco he would have been happily married to a woman. _

_However, after Draco no one else would do for him; the arrogant Malfoy was it for Harry and he was stupid to think he could ever ignore that. Well he wasn't ignoring it now and he was taking the steps to make it right; unfortunately, it was eighteen years or so too late to really matter for him and Draco but then again Harry always had been a bit slow on the uptake and too damn stubborn to boot. _

_He comforted himself with the thought that he was finally doing the right thing for the right reasons and that would have to do for now. With those last thoughts Harry drifted away into sleep's inky embrace; the divine image of an eighteen year old, nude Draco Malfoy spread out beneath him hovering tantalizingly in his mind's eye._

_**~*~*~*Chapter 3~*~*~***_

It was as Harry suspected, divorcing Ginevra Molly Potter soon to be Weasely again was like trying to escape a vampire after they've latched onto your neck. It was painful but necessary if Harry wanted to live his life the way he wanted to. The whole process was finished within a week; one long and brutal week.

Every woe, or perceived wrong, his ex-wife believed Harry had ever committed was brought up and paraded in front of the Wizengamot panel for them to judge. Most of the time the plum robed members of the Wizengamot looked bored and a little bit annoyed as they listened to his former spouse rail on for way too long.

By the time the Banshee like woman was done presenting her side of the argument Harry was ready to just throw whatever she wanted at her to get it over with. But he knew he couldn't; his solicitor would skin him alive if Harry threw away the two weeks of work and preparation that went into them being ready for this hearing. Ernie couldn't come with him to the courtroom but the former Hufflepuff had prepared the emerald eyed man to within an inch of his life.

The Lord of Houses Potter and Black thought he did well, in fact by the looks on the Wizengamot members' faces he thought he did spectacularly. His arguments for why he shouldn't have to give his ex-wife half his vaults was sound and his rebuttal on the argument that Ginevra's required three of his familial homes was reasonable. In the end he offered her what he wanted to when this whole divorce process started; the house they shared during their marriage and a generous stipend to be paid to her until all their children were of age.

His children spoke once the panel decided to award Ginevra Molly now Weasely exactly what Harry offered her in his proposed settlement. Needless to say the red headed witch was displeased but Harry didn't give flying shrivel fig if she liked it or not. He wouldn't indulge her whims any longer and gave her what she fairly deserved.

James, Albus, and Lily were quite adamant that they wanted to live with their father; the parent they believed was the most stable, supportive, and loving toward them. That his kids would tell the deciding panel that their mother was never truly there for them made Harry feel sad and bitter. His selfishness and cowardice were the reason his babies never knew a home where both parents were present and supportive to their needs.

But he knew that his children knew that Harry had done his level best to do everything he could to make their lives fun and full of love. Once this divorce was finalized maybe he would take some time off work and take the three of them on a vacation somewhere far away.

Harry wondered if he should let the kids invite a friend to come along. If they went over the summer they could stay for several weeks and Harry didn't want his kids to become bored during their stay wherever they ended up going. The emerald eyed man would even allow Albus to invite Scorpius; it was about time he met his second son's partner. To his knowledge James and Lily were single so he wouldn't have to worry about supervising three surely horny teenagers and their significant others.

A little flicker of something ghosted past his mind, whispering that maybe he should invite Draco to come along with them. That little voice continued to murmur that this was a good time for them to rekindle what they had. Harry ruthlessly crushed it and pushed it back into the abyss of his subconscious. Right now he needed to rebuild and repair his life and starting anything romantic with anyone, even if it was the Malfoy he adored was asking for trouble and trouble was the one thing he did not need at the moment.

With a sigh Harry slipped on his Auror robes and left Number Twelve. Today he would visit Kingsley and demand some much needed time off this summer.

_***~*~*Time Skip~*~*~***_

Harry went to pick up his children from the Hogwarts Express with a light heart. After he rounded up his spawn they would be going to their home at Grimmauld for two days and then they would be leaving to go to the U.S.; New York to be precise but not just the city but the outer towns that often were forgotten by travelers. They would be spending three weeks there and the eldest Potter was very excited to see the U.S. He'd been all over Europe but he'd never made it across the pond before.

Albus was bringing Scorpius, James was bringing his best friend, and Neville's son, Frankie while Lily was taking her Aunt Hermione. That his little girl felt her surrogate aunt needed a vacation was seconded by her father; Hermione never slowed down and often worked herself until she was dead on her feet.

The workaholic Healer resisted at first, spouting some nonsense about work and once that failed tried to bow out by saying she didn't want Harry to pay for her. That was easily remedied by the emerald eyed man writing down how much her portion would be and handing it to her; Harry knew Mione was well paid and could afford and he also knew she would resist him paying for her which was why he had the figure handy to give her.

In the end his best friend just huffed and agreed, no one could stand against two determined Potters, not even someone as stubborn as Hermione Jean Granger. It did sadden him that it would only be two thirds of their once happy trio going on this vacation but Ron had made his position abundantly clear after the divorce was settled. The youngest Weasely son didn't want anything to do with him at all and had expressed little interest in keeping in contact with his niece and nephews.

It hurt Harry but what could he do? He wouldn't foist his presence on someone who didn't want him and his kids were hurt too by their uncles rejection but knew it was Ron's issue not theirs that brought this on. The rest of the Weasely family was split; Arthur, Bill, Fleur, George, Angelina, and Charlie had discreetly conveyed that they supported Harry and would be there for him and his kids but couldn't do so blatantly.

They wanted to keep the peace within the family and Harry respected that. Molly wanted nothing to do with Harry but held no ill will toward her grandbabies; even Molly Weasely understood why James, Albus, and Lily had no relationship with their mother. Percy was indifferent but supportive to both Harry and Ginevra; always the politician that one.

It was only Ron who couldn't seem to get over his animosity for the divorce and was bound and determined to hold it against not only Harry but his kids too. But Ron was juvenile and immature at the best of times and malicious spiteful at worst; why was the emerald eyed savior surprised that his once best friend had turned on him, again? He really shouldn't be at this point.

Their other friends were surprised by the divorce but most just wanted Harry and Ginny to be happy and if that happiness could only be found apart then they supported the decision to divorce. Unfortunately, Harry seemed to be the only one happy about the split. Ginevra spent no time in going to her family and slamming Harry to the heavens; thank Merlin, Morgana, and Circe that a Gag Order was handed down to both Harry and Ginevra to stop them from speaking to the press about their divorce and the settlement reached.

Oh his ex-wife had gone to the Prophet and tried to spread rumors about Harry being unfaithful but the public as a whole just wouldn't accept that their savior would do such horrible things; that was a mighty big change from his fifth year when the public believed whatever they wanted to about him. It was refreshing to know he held more sway then he thought he did, being Head Auror finally paid off somehow.

Sure there were still a few people who would swallow anything written in the Prophet but for the most part people remembered all the good Harry had done and couldn't bring themselves to believe the angry red head's words. Some people understood that these vitriolic words were just the rantings of a jilted ex and in turn gave little credence to them.

It also helped that Ernie was prepared for this eventual happening and released several written statements, which were reviewed and okayed by Harry, to the press. The releases explained vaguely what was going on between Ginevra and Harry; the releases offered no real information but a lot of quelling lip service and seemed to appease the masses even more.

In the end almost no one gave his former spouse's words much weight and after the initial storm of attention from the press and the public Harry was left alone to do as he pleased. Kingsley was even so gracious as to give Harry the time off he requested with little to no argument offered. Sometimes the raven believed the Minister knew that it was only a matter of time before Harry gave his resignation notice and left the Ministry for better things.

It wasn't like Harry needed the money he got for being Head Auror, which was considerable. The emerald eyed man was very well off just on the money in his vaults alone but it wasn't always like that. When Harry first assumed control over his vaults when he turned seventeen he was shocked to see the state they were in.

They were nearly empty; it appeared his parents had spent most of their money on the war effort against Voldemort while Sirius' family spent their money supporting their beloved Dark Lord. So in the beginning of his adult life Harry needed every cent he could get from his paychecks and in time he'd turned those extra pounds into a considerable amount which only increased under his goblin's watchful eye.

Another part of his inheritance was the many properties owned by the Potters and the Blacks; all of which needed work much to Harry's annoyance. But it was worth the headache in the end. Now he had homes to give to his children when the time came for them to move away and start their own lives and families. Plus, some of the properties were in prime vacation spots so it was smart to hold onto them for future getaways.

For example the house they were staying in when they went to New York was located in a beautiful place called Tomkins Cove and sat on four acres of land. Also, the house was large enough that everyone could get their quiet time without running into someone else. Apparently, the home was purchased in the 1930's by Sirius' great-grandfather to use when he came to the States for business as he despised staying in a hotel, no matter how posh they were.

It surprised him that anyone for the Black line would deign to do business personally with an American as the Blacks were not only known bigots in regards to blood but they were your typical magical snobs, believing Americans to be uncivilized and gauche. Harry didn't get it at all and he decided to learn more about the earlier Blacks and the Noble House he oversaw.

Turns out the blood purity and snobbery came about much later the Harry first thought; Sirius' grandfather was the one who started with the pureblood mania so it turns out Sirius was more like his family than he ever thought he was. Learning this information made Harry fell proud to be the Lord of House Black and enjoyed turning the name into something to be admired instead of scorned.

He'd begun renovating the houses he owned and also began to revamp the image of the Houses he was Lord of. Many donations to charities were made along with many grants awarded to young magical beings that showed promise in their chosen fields. Ginevra hated that Harry was allegedly giving his money away and made no qualms about harassing him about it all the time but the Lord of Houses Potter and Black didn't give a damn about what his now ex-wife thought then and surely not now.

The money in his vaults was his and his alone; Harry was the one who scrimped and saved and made wise decisions. If he wanted to donate some money to worthwhile causes and people than it was his choice besides some of his grant money funded some of the very best inventions in their world. Portable house phones, and even cellular phones, could now function around magic whereas before it was only traditional telephones with a cord attached to the headset that could be made to function around their magic.

The shout of the word; "DAD!" along with the crush of Lily hugging him broke the patriarch of the Potter family out of his inner musings. With a smile on his face he hugged his little girl tightly, pressing a kiss to her fire red hair; hair that was so much like her namesakes it wasn't even funny. Soon their hug was joined by his two very tall sons; their little family just stayed that way for a moment before pulling away and greeting each other properly.

It was after he'd said his hello to Albus that he noticed two blonde men waiting to the side for something. That something became clear the minute Albus held out his hand and the younger blonde who happened to be Scorpius Malfoy stepped forward and clasped his small hand in his son's larger one. While Harry watched this sweet scene play out in front of him he also observed Draco hungrily out of the corner of his emerald eye.

It seemed Draco was just as nostalgic about watching their sons together as Harry was. He wondered what his former lover was thinking about when he watched their boys together. Did he think of the good times they'd shared or the heartbreak Harry caused? The raven prayed it was the good times and not the bad that were flittering in Draco's thoughts but Harry wouldn't be surprised if even those were bittersweet.

With a mental sigh the green eyed man approached the man he still adored and offered his hand in greeting. Sporting a warm smile on his face Harry hoped Draco would accept his hand; his worry was for naught though. The older blonde quickly took his hand in his for a friendly shake.

When Harry went to release the other man's smaller, smoother hand the grey eyed wizard wouldn't let go and tried to hold on until it began to look odd for them to be shaking hands for so long. The older blonde seemed to realize this and released Harry's captured appendage quickly, pretty light pink blush was creeping onto Draco's high cheeks.

Several people on the platform stared at Harry and Draco curiously; most of the parents went to school with the two men and knew about their legendary rivalry so seeing them shaking hands as if they were friends was a novel experience for them. Harry looked into those pretty grey eyes he loved so much and tried not to let all the love and want he felt for the man in front of him show through his eyes; he had a feeling he was failing since Draco's eyes widened and his body moved toward Harry's as if he truly wanted to hug him.

Unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you looked at it, Draco snapped out of his Harry induced haze and quickly bid the Potter family goodbye. The older raven felt empty as he watched the still gorgeous blonde walk away and had to fight not to run after the other and crush that smaller, fit body against his and kiss those pouty lips until they both couldn't breath.

James nudging him in the shoulder brought Harry out of his fantasy and made him realize that his pants were feeling slightly too tight. Feeling a bit embarrassed Harry adjusted his robe and quickly rounded up his kids so they could make their way over to the floo so they could go home and prepare for their trip to the U.S. Thoughts of Draco would wait until later that night when he could indulge in private without risk of being interrupted.

_**~*~*~*Time Skip~*~*~***_

Later that night when all the kids and Hermione were asleep and dreaming peacefully in their beds Harry escaped to his study, warded the doors to the nines and retrieved his Pensieve from its own highly warded drawer in his desk. He'd collected all of his precious possessions the day the divorce was finalized as was ordered by the Decree of Divorce. Thank Merlin no one had entered his study; not that the Potter Lord thought anyone could break through his wards without a visit to St. Mungo's Intensive Care Unit.

Pensieve in hand he moved to sit in the comfortable armchair next to the unlit fireplace and placed the stone, rune, covered basin on the small table next to him. With his wand Harry swirled the memories within the container and smiled when a teenage Draco rose form the mist; a beautiful smile on his face.

With a sad smile on his face Harry took a deep breath even though he knew he wouldn't drown and lowered his face into his memories. The feeling of falling always made his breath catch and the landing always made his knees threaten to collapse out from under him. Once he reoriented himself he focused on the memory he'd fallen into.

Teen Harry and Draco were walking quietly through the halls of Hogwarts and judging by the darkness outside Harry knew it was late. The older raven remembered this night; it was the first night he and Draco made love and he was pleased that this was the memory he'd be viewing tonight.

He needed to see this, he wanted to remember with perfect clarity what it felt like to be loved and cherished for who he was and not what he was supposed to be. The visiting Harry followed his younger counterpart into an abandoned classroom and watched as his younger self began to cast spell after spell to make the room perfect for the two of them.

He remembered his logic from so long ago; he and Draco may be keeping their relationship a secret but it was no reason not to give Draco the best, most memorable night of his life and besides they were both virgins at the time. Both their first times should be special even if they were inside an unused classroom. He watched as the room took shape; the desks were shoved to the side, the dust was vanished and a large comfy bed was transfigured out of the teacher's desk.

The older Harry watched as Draco crawled onto the bed and rose to his knees and began to strip; was Draco really that brazen all those years ago? Apparently so and Harry was angry that he'd let himself forget this, forget about how eager Draco could be when they were about make love or as often happened fuck like rabbits.

That smooth alabaster skin became more and more visible as the blonde discarded piece after piece of his clothing; once he was nude before the green eyes of Harry's teenage self he laid back on the bed and propped himself up on the fluffy pillows at the head of the bed and beckoned teen Harry to come join him.

The older raven laughed lowly as he watched his much younger inexperienced self strip gracelessly, almost falling onto his head when he tried to take his pants off without removing his shoes first. Ah yes to be young and nervous again but he loved watching this because he got to hear that lovely laugh of Draco's again; it seemed the older version wasn't the only one who found the teenaged savior's exuberance amusing.

Now as naked as the day he was born memory Harry skittered onto the bed and in between the lithe thighs of the sexy blonde on the bed. Neither were completely hard but they were semi-erect and with little hesitation his younger self grasped both their cocks and began to pump them as teen Harry rolled his hips so their hardening lengths were pressing against each other, adding another level of wonderful friction to the mix.

Memory Draco for his part was not a dead fish and raised his lightly defined arms and wrapped them around Harry's broader shoulders and spread his legs wider so the younger raven had more room to work with. The lithe blonde on the bed started to moan and writhe under his younger self's ministrations and the visiting Potter felt his cock begin to harden as he watched the man he adored lose himself in the pleasure his younger self was giving him.

It was when Draco started releasing those mouthwatering mewls and whimpers that the older raven slipped his hand in his pajama pants and began to pump his stiff length. When his younger self pulled away from that addicting blonde to grab his wand to murmur the Lubricating Charm the older savior felt the pre-cum begin to leak from his cock; he knew what was about to happen and it turned him on to no end.

The visiting Potter groaned when he felt a bead of pre-cum dribble out of his slit. With another groan the older Harry swept his thumb over the head of his cock and gathered the slick liquid being leaked by his now rigid erection. Using his pre-cum as lube Harry began to pump his hard length to the same rhythm his younger self was using to finger and stretch Draco's beautiful body open.

He watched with hungry emerald eyes as one finger became two and two became three and the whole time the grey eyed wizard on the bed never stopped releasing those sinful noises, sometimes begging Harry's younger self for more. The interloper's hand quickened it pace on his hard length as he looked upon the sexual scene taking place before him.

He could feel his balls tightening to his body as his orgasm crept up on him; Harry tried to suppress his release, wanting to make this last but it was becoming more and more difficult when he saw Draco's now loosening hole swallow teen Harry's thrusting fingers so easily.

However, it was when his younger self hit Draco's prostate and the Malfoy heir screamed out in pure ecstasy that the older raven couldn't hold back anymore and he allowed himself to cum. With a few more quick pumps of his hand he was cumming with his head thrown back and releasing a loud growl that reverberated throughout the room.

Harry continued to pump his hand, milking his orgasm for all it was worth as he watched his younger self slick up his hard member and slowly enter the blonde for the first time. He listened to the loving words of care and comfort his younger self whispered to Draco, trying to get the young blonde to relax and aid Draco in getting through the discomfort of his first time being penetrated.

With a bittersweet smile the older raven removed his dirtied hand from his pants, turned away from the cherished memory taking place in front of him and walked out of the classroom and the memory itself. Once he was sitting in the chair in his study at Grimmauld Place and free of the cum coating his hand and underwear Harry leaned back and let himself cry.

This was why he rarely visited these memories; at the beginning of them Harry was always so excited to see their younger selves and how in love they'd been but at the end after he'd cum in his own hand alone he became saddened because he began to think of all he'd lost and most likely would never have again.

It was double edged sword this viewing of his most sacred and treasured memories and while his heart hurt now he was still grateful that he could still watch his younger self enjoy the moments he'd shared with Draco. It made him feel better to watch how much they'd loved each other even if it hurt him to do it. With another sad smile and now slightly burning eyes he put his Pensieve away in the warded drawer and left his study to go to bed alone.

_**Alright, so we had out little slashy scene at the end and the plot moves forward. Now I have not decide how I want to end this...I'm leaning toward an open ending where the reader, meaning you people, may glean what you may and create your own ending...who knows though. Only time will tell!**_

_**Not sure if I mentioned this but this fic was not meant to be long or too in-depth but I have this compulsion to create plotlines even in my one-shots so this supposedly short fic is mutating into this and I don't know how to feel about it. *Shrugs* Oh well I'll deal with it and continue to give you readers quality updates.**_

_**As Always All Mistakes Are My Own!**_


	4. Chapter 4

_Author: HatefulRodeo_

_Story: A Photo of Past Ghosts_

_Notes: Okay this is the end for me. Hope you all enjoyed the ride with me. Thanks to all who fav'd and followed this story. Enjoy Lovelies!_

_Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I will make no money from the posting of this story._

_Previously:_

_With a bittersweet smile the older raven removed his dirtied hand from his pants, turned away from the cherished memory taking place in front of him and walked out of the classroom and the memory itself. Once he was sitting in the chair in his study at Grimmauld Place and free of the cum coating his hand and underwear Harry leaned back and let himself cry. _

_This was why he rarely visited these memories; at the beginning of them Harry was always so excited to see their younger selves and how in love they'd been but at the end after he'd cum in his own hand alone he became saddened because he began to think of all he'd lost and most likely would never have again._

_It was double edged sword this viewing of his most sacred and treasured memories and while his heart hurt now he was still grateful that he could still watch his younger self enjoy the moments he'd shared with Draco. It made him feel better to watch how much they'd loved each other even if it hurt him to do it. With another sad smile and now slightly burning eyes he put his Pensieve away in the warded drawer and left his study to go to bed alone._

_**~*~*~*Chapter 4~*~*~***_

Harry watched the petite blonde longingly while he said goodbye to his son; today would be the day Harry and his little contingent left for America. The older raven stayed to the back and smiled sadly when Albus rushed forward and embraced his boyfriend. The younger Potter then began dragging the small blonde up to his room so they could have some time alone before they left for America.

Draco just sighed while watching their young sons longingly before he snapped out of his daze. The elder blonde nodded politely to Harry before he turned to leave through the floo in the parlor. The emerald eyed man had to bite his tongue to stop himself from speaking.

He wanted so badly to stop the man he loved from leaving so he could have just a few more precious moments with the beautiful grey eyed wizard. Hermione elbowing him in the side broke him away from his staring match with Draco's back. Harry glared at his friend and rubbed his abused ribs gingerly. When did Hermione get so damn strong?!

Her words however hit him harder than any of her physical strikes could have; "It was Draco; wasn't it? The one you wrote me about, the one you still love after all this time?" Harry nodded and sighed; "It is, always will be too but there's nothing I can do, Mione. I fucked it up and..." He stopped his diatrive when he saw the brightest witch of their age rolling her eyes at him.

Harry scowled in annoyance when she spoke again; "You truly are an idiot aren't you Harry James Potter-Black?" The emerald eyed man cocked his head in confusion, not understanding what she was talking about. Hermione sighed loudly in exasperation; "You really are oblivious sometimes. While you've been mooning over him Draco has been practically screwing you with his eyes the whole time he's been here."

"So why don't you just go for it? The both of you obviously have some things to sort out and it is painful watching you pine like a smitten sixteen year old. Go get your man, Harry. Or at the very least settle things between you so you both can move on because from where I'm standing it is so blatantly obvious that you both care for each other that even Ronald could see it."

Harry gulped and mentally freaked out when he heard the telltale whoosh of the floo activating. Hastily he reached out with his magic for the Wards surrounding the house and locked them down so Draco couldn't leave just yet.

Satisfied that his blonde was still in residence the raven haired Lord hustled to the parlor and smiled when he saw an annoyed Draco still standing in the floo. "I'm sorry but I couldn't let you leave, not again." The irritated Malfoy Lord stepped out of the fireplace, a look of blankness settling over his face; "I have no idea what you're talking about, Potter. Now please release the Wards so I may leave; my wife is expecting me home."

Harry flinched at the cold words but he was the most Gryffindorish Gryffindor he knew and pressed on nobly, if a bit clumsily blunt; "No, I won't let you leave...not until I've said my peace. I love you, Draco. My god do I love you. I haven't stopped in all these years and I regret the day I decided to leave you and get back with Ginny."

"It was the biggest mistake of my life and even though you've married and moved on, had a child I have never, not for one moment, stopped desiring for it to be me in Astoria's place by your side. I was young and stupid and foolish and a coward and...well you get the idea and I understand if you hate me because I hate myself for hurting you all those years ago."

"And I know it is selfish of me to do this to you now but I can't help myself. So please if you still care for me, even a little bit, please tell me so and maybe we can get back what we once had. Or we can at least have a functional friendship for our sons."

"Albus adores Scorpius and I have a feeling that one day they'll give us little Malfoy-Potter babies to spoil so being on good terms would be good and well yeah...Please Draco say something." The blonde just stared at him in confused shock for a few moments.

Harry knew the man was trying to make out what was just essentially verbally vomited at him; the raven let the smaller man have all the time he needed. He doubted he would be so calm after being bludgeoned with words like that.

The confused shock didn't last long and within a second Harry was yelping and holding his head; the little blonde bastard just hexed him and by the looks of it Draco was gearing up to cast more no doubt very painful hexes at him.

Tapping into his well honed Auror reflexes Harry dodged and ducked every spell flung at him, letting the grey eyed wizard vent his anger and hurt. Pained words were interspersed with the screaming of painful jinxes and Harry hoped Hermione thought to spell the room so no one could hear what was going on and interfere.

After five minutes of moving about the upset blonde stilled and collapsed on his knees, tears streaming down his beautiful face in the middle of Harry's now destroyed parlor; "Why did you leave me?! Why did you leave without a word?!"

"I was all alone and waiting for you to come back but you didn't. Then I see the article in The Prophet detailing your marriage to the Weasely chit. I was crushed Harry James Potter and I would have killed myself if not for my mother begging me not to. She knew of us and to this day she despises you for what you did to me."

"Your crass acts and insensitive treatment caused me to lose so much but most of all I lost our CHILD! I lost my baby because of the strain your behavior inflicted on me." Harry felt like someone punched his heart out; a baby, they would of had a baby and it was his fault Draco lost it.

Tears crept into his emerald eyes and he began to babble his apologies while moving toward the still collapsed blonde. When he was close enough he fell onto to his knees and pulled Draco into his chest so he could try to comfort him as best he could while the other man cried out his pain.

The blonde was not happy with this arrangement and began to punch, bite and all-out fight to get away from Harry, screaming that he was a murderer, a bastard, and every other horrible word in the dictionary. Harry couldn't dispute the words; they were all true after all.

It was his fault; all of it was his fault and he'd not only ruined his love but he'd inadvertently killed their unborn child with his selfish, cowardly actions.

Eventually, the smaller man stilled in Harry's strong arms and began to cry brokenly into his shoulder. Harry held him tightly as deep soul wracking sobs escaped Draco. All the raven haired man could do was hold his love close to his body and murmur soft shushing noises and coo's while gently rubbing soothing circles in his love's lithe back; he knew any other words would be unwelcomed by the weeping Malfoy at the moment.

Once Draco cried himself out he leaned back and with bloodshot puffy eyes spoke in a cracked voice; "I hate you, Harry Potter. I hate you for being a coward, for leaving me and destroying me so much that I lost our child; that precious babe was a little piece of me and you. After I lost them I never wanted to see you again."

"For a long time I didn't think of you hardly at all, maybe a fleeting thought here or there when I heard something about you or your family. It wasn't until Scorpius started Hogwarts and I saw you on Platform Nine and Three Quarters that the thoughts of you wouldn't leave me alone. Seeing you brought it all back to the forefront of my mind; the love, the passion and the pain. I thought I'd dealt with it long ago but I was wrong."

"Poor Astoria, bless her knew of our history and supported me though the inevitable breakdown your presence caused. She is of the mind that I needed to confront you, scream at you, and by doing so I could move on and find someone else to give me what I need. Things I need that Astoria knows she cannot give me."

Harry choked on his spit; Astoria knew of Draco's preferences and was alright with them? That was good news! Well not really since the vibe Harry was picking up form the blonde pretty much shut down any and all hopes he had for reconciling with the man he adored.

The petite man shifting in his lap made him look into those pretty large grey eyes and he almost wept when he saw the love shining back at him; "But as much as I hate you, Harry I also adore you. Astoria was right though; I did need this. I needed to explode and tell you everything, tell you how much your abandonment hurt me. How much losing our child killed me inside."

"However, for all the pain your leaving caused me it did cause good things to come of it. I married a wonderful woman who understands me and supports me. That wonderful woman gave me a son whom I adore more and more every day. Scorpius is everything I would have been if not for my father's meddling."

"So in the end your cruel actions while hurting me gave me something I wouldn't have had otherwise and I wouldn't give those things up for all the galleons in the world. I'm sure you feel the same about your kids as I do about Scorp. But I don't know what to do now; I don't know where to go from here..."

Harry gently grasped that still slightly pointed chin in his hand and tilted Draco's head back. Without a moment's hesitation he pressed his chapped lips to the blonde's plump petal soft ones. The two men remained kissing chastely until Draco pulled away. In the midst of their shared breaths he spoke softly; "I need time to think this through Harry. While I do still love you, and while I think I always will, I don't know if I can do this again."

"I don't know if I can trust you again with my entire heart and soul. Please open the floo so I can have the time to think and sort myself out." Harry merely nodded and stood, lifting the lithe blonde onto his feet. Once they were both upright the raven pressed a kiss to his love's forehead; "Whatever you decide, Draco, just know I am truly sorry for all of it and if I could go back I would."

"But I will always love you. If you need anything you have the address to the house in America; feel free to call or come by anytime." The proud Malfoy Lord just nodded and once the Wards were open he stepped into the floo and quickly collected another handful of powder so he could escape Harry's suffocating presence.

With a flash of acid green flames his angel was gone and the Man-Who-Lived felt empty inside. They'd finally hashed it out but the things he'd heard were earth shattering, life changing, things. Draco was so much more amazing than Harry ever knew; to lose a child and still be able to raise a child as well behaved and kind as Scorpius was amazing.

Most people would have turned into bitter husks and lived hateful lives, spreading their discord around so no one would ever get close to them again but his Draco didn't. No, his Malfoy was stronger than that, stronger than anyone Harry ever knew.

Draco always persevered through it all, maybe not gracefully but nonetheless he always managed to survive. But losing a baby! And if Harry wasn't such a cowardly arse back then he and Draco would have had a baby together. He wondered what would the child would have looked like? Would it have been a boy or a girl?

These were little things that pained Harry to think on but he knew he needed to. Even if he was finding out over seventeen years later he needed to mourn for the child that never got the chance to take a breath or have a birthday. Merlin he was a selfish bastard and even if Draco never wanted to rekindle what they had he would still be there for the blonde to quietly support him always.

It was the least he could do after everything he'd put the other through. Hermione opening the door made him look to his longtime friend, a broken and sad expression on his face. Without a moment's hesitation the bushy haired woman was on the floor holding him as he explained what exactly happened while he and Draco were in the room.

Like always Hermione listened and then began to dissect the information given; "He said he still adored you. Well the way I see it is he still has deep feelings for you but he is hurt, very very hurt, and he is afraid to open himself up to you again. But I gather you've worked this out on your own." Harry huffed; "I know I can be dense, Mione, but I'm not a complete emotional idiot so yes I gathered that so far."

"What I need to know is what do I do now to get Draco to be with me again? Should I send gifts or flowers or I don't know! Mione, I don't know what to do!" She smiled at her always impatient friend; "Harry, there is nothing you can do to sway him. Draco told you he needed time and that is what you will give him."

"Tomorrow morning we leave for America and will enjoy a wonderful vacation. Draco knows where you are and if he decides to he will contact you. You have to understand Harry that while you have had a long time to come to terms with the way things are Draco is just starting to deal with all of it."

"Not to mention I think you need some time to adjust to some of this as well. Harry, you need to deal with your feelings in regards to the baby that was lost and I know you. You'll say you're fine with while it eats at you until you do something stupid."

The raven at least had the decency to look chagrinned. Harry knew his friend was right; he did need to come to terms a bit more with the news and feelings he stirred up today. He vaguely wondered why Draco never tried to tell him about their lost child. He felt anger bubbling up in him then; anger at himself and at the blonde man who just left.

Then another thought hit him; Hermione was right. Harry did need to let this bombshell settle into his mind. The vacation would do him well. There he could think and reflect on times gone by and assimilate this new information without any outside interference. Hermione would see to it that he got the time to think.

With a smile at his best friend Harry acquiesced; "Alright, Mione. I'll leave him to his thoughts and give him time but if I haven't heard from him by the time we get back from New York I'm going to him; no arguments." The witch just shook her head in exasperation but agreed, knowing it was the best she was going to get out of the stubborn man.

"Well now that that's done I think there is some last minute packing to be done before we are to leave." Hermione laughed at her friend's groan; "Can't I just let you do it Hermione? You know what I like to wear..." She snorted; "I could yes but I have no desire to spend my first vacation in years packing your underwear."

"Now get packing while I go and fix this room before the kids notice it." With a very dramatic sigh the revered emerald eyed man trudged out of the room and up towards his bedroom; the dreaded act of packing called. On the bright side at least he could use magic to aid him. Thank Merlin or it would take him until tomorrow to get himself sorted out.

~*~*~*Time Skip~*~*~*

Two weeks had gone by when the floo flared in the study of their vacation house in the States. Harry, who was reading a business missive at the desk, was jolted out of his concentration by a slender blonde man stepping out of the fireplace. Hesitantly, the taller man stood and rounded the desk; "Draco, is everything all right?"

Harry could tell the Malfoy Lord was nervous but he wore a look of stubborn determination as he strode forward and pulled Harry into a backbreaking hug. The eldest Potter could do nothing but respond to the embrace, pressing light kisses to the crown of Draco's blonde head while he held him tightly.

Harry was smiling like madman and for the first time in many years he felt whole and complete. He knew he was ready to take the steps forward into the future with the man in his arms by his side. And while he didn't completely know what the smaller man decided to do in regards to them as a couple Harry knew they'd make it work.

And Harry took the little kisses Draco was pressing to his neck as a good sign that the smaller man was perfectly alright with restarting their romantic relationship.

Both of them had taken the long way around to get there but, eventually, like all things that are meant to be together they'd found each other once again. Only this time Harry had no intention of letting his little lover out of his life, or his arms; hell even their bed ever again!

_**Wellllll That's All Folks! I know it is open ended and I am okay with it; it was how I wanted to leave it. You guys can use your imagination and take these two wherever you want to. I felt like of I went further I would be spoon feeding you some cheesy nickel romance novel ending. **_

_**Plus, this fic felt done to me and since I'm writing it's my opinion that matters.**_

_**Oh and I may post a chapter chock full of slash in a little while so be on the look out. I feel like this story didn'ty have enough smut in it. Just a heads up for you my dear readers.**_

_**As Always All Mistakes Are My Own!**_


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